Vice News are famed for sending in journalists to Syria covering the war from the front lines. They have sent very brave journalists with the YPK, FSA, Islamic Front and other groups. You get an appreciation of the FSA and the brave medical staff in this video.

Here is a 6 part documentary they made. It's graphic ...

These are the people that are being bombed by Russia today, and Aleppo is at risk at falling to DAESH.

Some FSA and YPG units have been fighting ISIL together in some areas (according to this video) indicating that the 2 groups have already formed an alliance. The YPG is reported to have even deployed Women Ground Units alongside the FSA.

It looks like we have positive developments.

This gunfight is FSA/YPG Vs DAESH

So the picture gets clearer and far more simpler. The good guys are banding together.

There is reported to be a big inflow of Iranian ground troops to Syria and they are being deployed in the Aleppo area. The immediate plan seems to be to recapture Aleppo, Syria's second city, from anti-Assad forces (Daesh has never had a presence here). It is just speculation - but could they be letting Daesh get there first and establish at least some kind of minimal presence in or around the city to enable them to brand the effort to take Aleppo as being an anti-Deash campaign?

Tim Drayton wrote:There is reported to be a big inflow of Iranian ground troops to Syria and they are being deployed in the Aleppo area. The immediate plan seems to be to recapture Aleppo, Syria's second city, from anti-Assad forces (Daesh has never had a presence here). It is just speculation - but could they be letting Daesh get there first and establish at least some kind of minimal presence in or around the city to enable them to brand the effort to take Aleppo as being an anti-Deash campaign?

I don't know Tim. That is the issue here. No one seems to know what Putin's objectives are as they appear to be very opaque.

The coalition on the other hand was very clear. It's fight was against DAESH, not the Syrian People or Assad's forces or the Rebels who are fighting for the majority Sunni population. We were hoping that the Syrians can sort that one out for themselves.

All I can tell you is that Putin has set things back a good number of years for about 13 million Sunni Syrians.

So in effect, the coalition has currently lost or is losing. The only avenue open is to arm the anti Assad Forces to the teeth, to inflict maximum casualties and so that they can hold on to their turf from both the Assad Loyalists and DAESH. As the Russians and Iranians advance, we will be offering the FSA Air Cover, so there is a high possibility of a direct Russian and Coalition clash. The idea behind this is to create a stalemate which they hope will result in renewed negotiations. Very dangerous though.

There is no way they will allow any Russian or Syrian aircraft interfere or lock a coalition aircraft. Let's see who has the cooler heads.

Wouldn't surprise me that they are so calculating. How else will they get fools like Miltiades to accept the "lesser of 2 evils".

Personally, I think we are in for a very long ride and a very long war.

It is pure speculation, but I would not rule out some kind of behind the scenes deal between the USA and Russia, as Miltiades reports the people in Belarus to think. The Iraqi army now surrounds Ramadi and appears to be waiting for the order to move in, the date for the liberation of Mosul is now being discussed and a YPG/FSA assault to free Raqqa from Daesh is also being spoken of. It would make sense to unleash assaults against the already crumbling gang of bandits on several fronts at once. What if there is a deal with Russia/Iran retake Syria south of and including Aleppo and Latakia for Assdad, but some of Syria is to be lost and a new Kurdish state and a new Sunni state roughly covering the territory now occupied by Daesh are formed on ex-Syrian and ex-Iraqi land? Russia/Iran get the south of Iraq and the rump of Syria as client states, while the US gets the new Kurdish and Sunni entities as its puppets. It is a kind of win-win situation and it fits the way things are panning out, although, of course, if you are an Assad opponent in places that are returned to his rule, that will just be tough, under this scenario. We will see. There is probably more to this than meets the eye as yet.

There is no likelyhood of the West and Russia entering into a conflict.

Both are superpowers and both know the dire consequences following any hostilities.

I believe that the Americans and Russians, behind the scenes, have concured and are working together to find a formula that will bring peace and stability in the region.Paphitis, as always naive, and driven by his expressed animosity towards Russia, makes immature statements influenced by his dislike and hatred of Russia.

I have always been a supporter of the West but my support is not unconditional.

I have also, during the last 5 or more years, came to understand the Russians a lot more than previously.

miltiades wrote:There is no likelyhood of the West and Russia entering into a conflict.

Both are superpowers and both know the dire consequences following any hostilities.

I believe that the Americans and Russians, behind the scenes, have concured and are working together to find a formula that will bring peace and stability in the region.Paphitis, as always naive, and driven by his expressed animosity towards Russia, makes immature statements influenced by his dislike and hatred of Russia.

I have always been a supporter of the West but my support is not unconditional.

I have also, during the last 5 or more years, came to understand the Russians a lot more than previously.

ameiga and russia and peace do not go together. where ever they touch they destroy. you would think one of your age would have learned that by now. they fight for their own interests in somebody else's country and have been doing it for decades.

miltiades wrote:There is no likelyhood of the West and Russia entering into a conflict.

Both are superpowers and both know the dire consequences following any hostilities.

I believe that the Americans and Russians, behind the scenes, have concured and are working together to find a formula that will bring peace and stability in the region.Paphitis, as always naive, and driven by his expressed animosity towards Russia, makes immature statements influenced by his dislike and hatred of Russia.

I have always been a supporter of the West but my support is not unconditional.

I have also, during the last 5 or more years, came to understand the Russians a lot more than previously.

I accept that there may have been some sort of behind the scenes carve-up, but only time will tell whether the result will be peace and stability. The confederate flag has only recently been lowered on the capital building in South Carolina 150 years after the end of the American civil war. Even if, on paper, the Syrian revolution turns out to have been defeated, its memory will live on and will continue to influence people.

I happen to think that the sudden Russian efforts of the past couple of weeks have been overhyped, and the Western alliance has also done a great deal over a longer time, and Paphitis is right to draw attention to this.

miltiades wrote:There is no likelyhood of the West and Russia entering into a conflict.

Both are superpowers and both know the dire consequences following any hostilities.

I believe that the Americans and Russians, behind the scenes, have concured and are working together to find a formula that will bring peace and stability in the region.Paphitis, as always naive, and driven by his expressed animosity towards Russia, makes immature statements influenced by his dislike and hatred of Russia.

I have always been a supporter of the West but my support is not unconditional.

I have also, during the last 5 or more years, came to understand the Russians a lot more than previously.

it's very naive to believe that if the Rebellion against Assad is quashed and destroyed now by Assad/Iran/Russia/Hessbollah (a terrorist organisation in its own right) that there will be any kind of peace and stability in the region. It's impossible to expect the Kurds and Sunnis to live in harmony under an oppressive regime that has killed thousands of them or under an Iranian Influenced regime. There will be terror attacks left right and center until one day all hell breaks loose again.

There are only 2 possible solutions which can bring about peace and stability:1) a Syria and Iraq carve up and partition where there will be a Sunni State, a Kurdish State and a Shiite State, OR2) a united Iraq and a united Syria with some kind of Power Sharing or coalition administration where all groups have a say.

OTHERWISE, it will be HELL for a long time to come, and thousands more will die and it will be a breeding ground for extremists.

I think it is highly probable that Putin knows this too, and that there is a lot of wheeling and dealing in the background to work out what they are going to do.

I think it might be the end of Assad's power over the Sunnis one way or another.

It's also very naive to believe that the coalition will just sit back and accept "the lesser of 2 evils" situation. It was talked about, but it was quashed instantly. There will be no "lesser of 2 evils" otherwise you might as well just sign the death certificates of thousands of Sunnis right now, and the ethnic cleansing of millions more.